A great product deserves great support.

Yet too often, customer support is treated as a cost center — something to minimize, automate, outsource.

The math seems simple: fewer human interactions equal lower expenses. Hard to argue that, on its face. People are expensive and complicated.

A disclosure: I’m a big proponent of modern AI chatbots. I’ve recommended, set up and helped “train” several different varieties. They’re fun and powerful — and keep getting better.

They hop on and handle routine inquiries instantly, 24/7. Most customers appreciate the immediacy.

I sure do, compared to a human chat agent juggling numerous discussions and taking several minutes to answer the simplest questions.

For common questions and basic troubleshooting, AI chatbots are incredibly efficient, and amazingly accurate. They can suggest a relevant item almost as well as a knowledgable sales assistant, and even add it to the shopper’s cart. Boom.

But here’s the thing: the most memorable support experiences still come from human connection.

Look at Zappos, which built its entire shoe brand around exceptional customer service. Their longest customer service call? 10 hours and 43 minutes. The agent helped a customer browse different shoes, listened to their stories, and created a genuine connection.

Was it efficient? Hell, NO.

Did it build brand loyalty? Absolutely.

In fact, by being so astonishingly long, that call helped define the brand and epitomize Zappos’ legendary service. The online shoe pioneer, 25 years in, sells all kinds of things but still has the same core purpose: to live and deliver WOW.

Think about a time when a support person went above and beyond to solve your problem. When they treated your issue as important rather than inconvenient. When they showed genuine empathy and dedication to making things right, so you’d be happy.

When they asked considerate questions, laughed when appropriate, and talked to you like a fellow human.

Those moments transform:

• Product satisfaction into brand loyalty
• Frustrated customers into passionate evangelists
• Support costs into relationship investments

Recently, I saw how a client’s support team handle a complex product issue. The AI chatbot had done its job, gathering initial information. The customer was not happy, He had written a negative review and begun trash-posting on social media.

Then a human support specialist took over, and something magical happened. They solved the problem — and created a connection. The customer felt heard, valued, understood.

That bad review turned into five stars, and the customer now posts about the brand’s “amazing customer service.”

I’ve seen that kind of turnaround more than once. (My favourite example is the time when the founder took over a tough situation. The customer went from raging troll to raving fan by hearing a caring and imperfect human instead of the soulless corporation he’d envisioned had made off with his money.)

For great product makers, exceptional support isn’t seen as a cost item, but an investment that pays back.

AI can handle the volume and biff out the soft balls. It’s a big part of every buyer’s future.

But humans create the stories that customers share.

What support experience made you a lifelong customer?

Laurier

P.S. The best product support teams I know use AI to handle routine tasks so talented, caring humans can focus on creating those memorable moments. It’s not either/or – it’s both/and.